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BE SURE TO<br />

LOOK AFTER<br />

YOURSELF<br />

Your health and wellbeing is of the utmost importance,<br />

especially in the world of business! Be sure to<br />

understand how to look after your health, as this can<br />

have a huge effect on your work ethic.<br />

8Leadership<br />

coach, Anna Jester, shares her<br />

advice on what makes a great leader in a<br />

post-pandemic world.<br />

TIPS<br />

FOR BEING<br />

A GREAT LEADER<br />

HOW IMPORTANT IS<br />

PERSONAL<br />

BRANDING?<br />

Ensuring that all your collateral is on brand<br />

is key for business continuity - including<br />

all your business photography.<br />

ALL ABOARD THE<br />

TRAIN<br />

Ecommerce is ever growing - it can be a great way<br />

to build your business.<br />

BUILDING A<br />

Photography courtesy of Laurence Jones Photography


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LETTER FROM<br />

Welcome to Spring <strong>2021</strong> and slightly surprised to find snow on the ground today! Just<br />

goes to show that we should never be too surprised when life and nature throw us a few<br />

surprises and challenges we weren't expecting. I am especially delighted to see so many<br />

businesses excitedly reopening following the easing of trading restrictions and wish them<br />

all massive success!<br />

Fantastic to have you enjoying the <strong>April</strong> <strong>2021</strong> issue of Talk Business Magazine and our<br />

ongoing thanks to the amazing iPlus Media team for pulling it all together.<br />

A few new features this month including the Meet the Business and Meet the Member<br />

articles. We love to showcase the brilliant individuals and businesses that are in the Talk<br />

Business family and having the opportunity to highlight the inspiring Tidal Training<br />

business and also the fascinating work of Hana Smiddy who juggles a property business<br />

and a flying club! If you feel we could feature your business then please let us know.<br />

Once again we have a video link to one of the Thrive on Thursday sessions we hosted<br />

recently. This time we have Neil Morgan taking us through the Branding Process.<br />

We have a wide range of topics covered including leadership, health, motivation and<br />

features on ecommerce and the Kickstart scheme. Our thanks to all the Talk Business<br />

members for generously sharing their knowledge and experience with us.<br />

Talk Business UK is a membership organisation that develops and organises events and<br />

experiences to help local businesses and organisations from all sectors and sizes to<br />

connect and create opportunities to build long term and meaningful business<br />

relationships.<br />

We would love you to be part of this family.<br />

JONATHAN SMITH<br />

DIRECTOR AT TALK BUSINESS UK


TABLE OF<br />

How to stay healthy and boost your immune system ... 06<br />

Thrive on Thursday ... 08<br />

The Kickstart Scheme ... 10<br />

Building the future; motivating yourself with compassion ... 12<br />

8 ways to be a brilliant leader in a post-pandemic world ... 13<br />

Meet the Member ... 18<br />

Why Print? ... 20<br />

What is personal branding photography? ... 23<br />

<strong>April</strong>’s Business Showcase ... 25<br />

SaddleUp ... 26<br />

All Aboard The Ecommerce Train ... 31<br />

Talk Business Members Directory ... 33<br />

No material may be reproduced in any way, or translated, without written permission of the<br />

publishers.<br />

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that adverts and articles appear correctly, but Talk<br />

Business Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly<br />

by the contents of the publication.<br />

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of its publisher or editor.<br />

COPYRIGHT © <strong>2021</strong><br />

Talk Business Magazine is published by iPlus Media.<br />

Editorial & Advertising: hello@talkbusinessuk.co.uk<br />

Telephone: 01789 330 003 | Website: www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk


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TALK<br />

WELLBEING<br />

HOW TO STAY<br />

HEALTHY..<br />

.. AND BOOST YOUR<br />

IMMUNE SYSTEM<br />

As the return to work gathers momentum in<br />

re-opening Britain (again) for business,<br />

staying healthy is our main focus in these<br />

challenging times.<br />

What is the best advice for keeping your<br />

immune system healthy and functioning at its<br />

best to help fight viruses?<br />

As in ‘normal times’ the advice is pretty<br />

much the same: ensure you have adequate<br />

rest and sleep, exercise regularly, eat well,<br />

and stay hydrated. But eating the right foods<br />

and drinking the recommended daily intake<br />

of fluids are particularly vital.<br />

DID YOU KNOW..<br />

..that 70% of your immune system is<br />

based in the gut, so boosting your<br />

immune health through good nutrition,<br />

proper rest and good hydration is<br />

important to help fight off infection?<br />

How can I eat healthier?<br />

Vitamin and minerals — particularly A, C and<br />

E, as well as zinc — play an important role in<br />

keeping the immune system strong so that it<br />

can fight off any germs and illness. Consider<br />

your plate of food and make sure each meal<br />

contains a balanced mix of vegetables and<br />

lean meats or fish, combined with dairy and<br />

healthy fats, and this should deliver what you<br />

need to help keep your immune system<br />

strong.


Prebiotic and probiotic foods support a<br />

healthy gut flora, and this is why it’s<br />

important to eat foods such as fruits,<br />

vegetables, kefir products and yogurts.<br />

Why water is best<br />

Your body needs fluids and electrolytes to<br />

function at its best, especially when you are<br />

suffering symptoms like a fever, coughing,<br />

diarrhea and sickness, which can easily<br />

dehydrate you. Proper rehydration helps<br />

with illness recovery.<br />

Healthy hydration levels can also help your<br />

nose by maintaining the health of the<br />

mucous membrane and decreasing irritation<br />

when coughing and sneezing.<br />

Rehydration drinks and sachets with<br />

electrolytes are readily available in the<br />

supermarket or pharmacy and good to take<br />

relieve symptoms associated with<br />

illness-related mild to moderate dehydration<br />

to replace those lost fluids.<br />

Fizzy drinks and those with a lot of sugar like<br />

sports drinks are not such good choices for<br />

sorting dehydration symptoms resulting<br />

from illness because of their higher sugar<br />

content which can make stomach issues<br />

worse. Plus, sugar is bad for you for other<br />

health reasons.<br />

Plumbed in water coolers and fountains<br />

provide excellent ways to keep your team<br />

topped up. With a small footprint most<br />

brands deliver over 100 cups of chilled<br />

water per hour and comes as a free standing<br />

or desktop model. Instant boiling taps also<br />

do cold and sparkling water as you want it –<br />

3 and 4 in 1 taps do it all.<br />

So, to take the best care of yourself when<br />

returning to the workplace don’t miss meals<br />

or forget to refill your reusable or glass at<br />

the office water cooler. Good nutrition,<br />

hydration, rest and exercise will all help<br />

boost your immunity and help to keep you<br />

healthy.<br />

If you are in need of some PR work for your B2B or<br />

B2C business then get in touch with Pentacom<br />

Marketing & PR:<br />

email at cathryn@pentacomagency.com or call on<br />

07768 410097 or visit www.pentacomagency.com


TALK<br />

MEETINGS<br />

THRIVE ON<br />

THURSDAY<br />

Thrive on Thursday talks have been created to help you and your business take<br />

advantage of the knowledge of leaders in their fields and to grow in your business.<br />

As part of the Thrive on Thursday Marketing sessions, I recently completed a<br />

presentation on ‘The Branding Process’. Brand and branding are issues which affect<br />

businesses of all sizes and it is important that we understand the process.<br />

How does branding fit within your brand journey? What research and planning<br />

should we consider before branding or re-branding? What are the elements that<br />

make branding memorable and successful? What is the importance of the<br />

implementation stage? Why do we need to constantly review the impact of our<br />

branding? These are all questions which are tackled in this presentation.<br />

For those of you who could not make the recent session, you can see my<br />

presentation below.


BE THE LEADER<br />

your eight-year-old self would want you to be<br />

“Working with Anna grew my knowledge around leadership exponentially, enabled<br />

me to recognise my existing values and strengths and build on them – it has<br />

transformed my perception of leadership and of myself.”<br />

VP of finance, global manufacturing company<br />

LEADERSHIP<br />

COACHING<br />

LEADERSHIP<br />

DEVELOPMENT<br />

LEADERSHIP<br />

CHARACTER<br />

hello@jester-consulting.com<br />

jester-consulting.com<br />

07802 294 857


TALK<br />

OPERATIONS<br />

THE<br />

KICKSTART<br />

SCHEME<br />

WHAT IS THE<br />

KICKSTART SCHEME?<br />

The Kickstart scheme is an idea that the<br />

UK government put forward in September<br />

2020, the idea is to help 16 to 24 year<br />

olds, who are on universal credit and at<br />

risk of long-term employment, to gain<br />

relevant work experience and<br />

employability support to help them get<br />

into long-term work as soon as possible.<br />

An initial £2 billion has been provided for<br />

this scheme, and there will not be a cap<br />

on the number of places available, this £2<br />

billion is intended to provide funding for<br />

over 250,000 Kickstart jobs.<br />

The scheme runs until December <strong>2021</strong> at<br />

present but it is expected that the scheme<br />

will be extended beyond that date due to<br />

the significant take up so far.<br />

The most recent statistics from 4th<br />

February<br />

(https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/res<br />

earch-briefings/cbp-8965/) show that<br />

since the kickstart scheme was launched<br />

over 100,000 job placements had been<br />

approved and over 2,000 young people<br />

had started jobs.<br />

As well as SMEs a number of large<br />

companies have taken part in the kickstart<br />

scheme, companies such as Amey who<br />

have created 60 vacancies and Marks and<br />

Spencer's have created 360 kickstart<br />

vacancies. Excitingly for some lucky<br />

Kickstart employees, our very own local<br />

premiership rugby team, Gloucester, have<br />

also decided to take part in the Kickstart<br />

scheme and they have a number of<br />

vacancies for 16 to 24 year olds to come<br />

and join them in various roles.<br />

Pleasure in the job puts<br />

perfection in the work.<br />

- ARISTOTLE<br />

What does the Kickstart Scheme cost?<br />

Each Kickstart placement lasts 6 months<br />

and the DWP will fund the Kickstart<br />

employee’s salary for 25 hours per week<br />

at the appropriate minimum wage for<br />

their age. Employers can choose to top


much more smoothly and more quickly,<br />

employers are already appreciating the<br />

benefits of the Kickstart scheme even more<br />

and the Kickstart employees are getting the<br />

benefits of the experience, working and<br />

getting employability training to help them<br />

stay off benefits and in long term work.<br />

up the pay and the hours themselves if they<br />

wish but it is not a requirement to provide<br />

any more than 25 hours work per week.<br />

The employers have a responsibility to<br />

provide employability training to their<br />

Kickstart employees which is funded from<br />

the £1,500 grant provided by the<br />

government to each Kickstart employer. As<br />

well as training, the grant is also expected to<br />

cover the cost of equipment, uniforms,<br />

management time, HR costs and other costs<br />

associated with taking on your new<br />

Kickstarter. The Job Guru provides a full<br />

package of training and support services<br />

that have been approved for use by<br />

companies taking part in the Kickstart<br />

Scheme, (for more information please get in<br />

touch by email or visit<br />

www.thejobguru.co.uk/kickstart-scheme).<br />

Taking on a Kickstart Employee should be<br />

cost neutral at the very least and should<br />

provide a benefit to the business through<br />

having an extra pair of hands working for the<br />

business at no additional cost.<br />

Teething troubles<br />

Unfortunately, due to the unprecedented<br />

number of applications the DWP have<br />

struggled to efficiently manage the process<br />

which has left employers disillusioned with<br />

the Kickstart scheme. However, it was to be<br />

expected that they would be teething<br />

troubles with something like this scheme,<br />

especially as the Kickstart scheme is a<br />

completely new idea, it was created at short<br />

notice and at a time when resources were<br />

limited anyway. These teething problems are<br />

being rectified and the process is running<br />

Changes have been made to the Kickstart<br />

scheme already, at the start of February the<br />

government removed the limit of a minimum<br />

of 30 kickstart placements per application<br />

which forced small businesses to group<br />

together or to use gateway organisations to<br />

put an application in. Now employers can<br />

submit an application directly themselves for<br />

one or more vacancies this is a much<br />

simplified process from an employer’s point<br />

of view, they don't need to go through a<br />

third party Gateway, the grant funding is<br />

paid directly to themselves and they have<br />

more control and more awareness about<br />

what is happening. It will be interesting to<br />

see what further changes will be made over<br />

the next few months because the scheme<br />

certainly has a lot of potential benefits for<br />

both employers and for young people who<br />

are claiming universal credit and want to<br />

make sure that they can get back into<br />

long-term work.<br />

More support is now available to Employers<br />

wishing to take part in the Kickstart scheme,<br />

for example to make it easier to apply to<br />

take part in the Kickstart scheme the DWP<br />

have created a page on their website with<br />

tips on completing the application<br />

successfully https://bit.ly/3sEUep6.<br />

Companies such as The Job Guru<br />

(www.thejobguru.co.ukkickstart-scheme) are<br />

providing additional support with webinars<br />

providing information about the scheme,<br />

helping with the application process and<br />

providing HR support and Employability<br />

training that is required under the scheme.<br />

For more information about the scheme please join<br />

our next webinar www.thejobguru.eventbrite.co.uk,<br />

or you can learn more by:<br />

visiting www.thejobguru.co.uk/kickstart-scheme or<br />

getting in touch at kickstart@thejobguru.co.uk


FUTURE;<br />

MOTIVATING YOURSELF WITH COMPASSION<br />

This has certainly been a year like no other.<br />

With the effects of the pandemic still<br />

difficult for many businesses, uncertainly<br />

and upheaval will continue to play a huge<br />

part in our lives. Many will face the task of<br />

rebuilding or rebranding their business and<br />

the motivation required to do this can be<br />

difficult to access in the face of the fatigue<br />

we are all experiencing.<br />

Many of us have learned to motivate<br />

ourselves in a highly competitive and<br />

individualised world by being hard on<br />

ourselves and in many ways this strategy<br />

may have been rewarded, though at what<br />

cost? Research has shown that practicing<br />

self-compassion, self-encouragement and<br />

acting as your own ally or coach during<br />

stressful times is a better indicator of<br />

sustainable success than harsh self-criticism<br />

which can set up a vicious cycle of a fear of<br />

failure and inability to persevere and try<br />

again. Perseverance and stickability are<br />

qualities that are needed by all business<br />

owners, especially now. The recovery phase<br />

will also require a certain level of innovation<br />

and creativity which are all hampered by the<br />

unhelpful strategies of the inner critic who<br />

generally compares us unfavourably to the<br />

next person.<br />

Some may fear that self-compassion will<br />

make them weak, lazy or self-indulgent, but<br />

the research shows that people with higher<br />

levels of self-compassion are generally more<br />

proactive and can create a sense of inner<br />

safety which helps them to confront their<br />

mistakes and failings, make positive changes<br />

in their lives and continue to set themselves<br />

high goals.<br />

There is more to self-compassion than being<br />

kind. It is the motivation to be helpful and<br />

not harmful and about developing the<br />

courage to recognise and admit the<br />

difficulties we face and the wisdom to know<br />

how best to help ourselves through. It’s also<br />

about recognising our shared common<br />

humanity and that although at times we can<br />

feel alone and be tempted to withdraw the<br />

reality is that every successful business has<br />

had its fair share of failings and mistakes. It’s<br />

about developing the resources within<br />

ourselves, to keep going through adversity.<br />

Next time you notice your inner critic<br />

discouraging you and demotivating you,<br />

crank up the part of you that best knows<br />

what you need to keep moving forward. The<br />

wise part of you that has supported you<br />

through other periods of difficulty. Talk to<br />

yourself with encouraging tones just as you<br />

would support a friend or fellow business<br />

owner. The good news is that<br />

self-compassion can be developed over<br />

time and with consistent practice.<br />

Kirsty Lilley is an experienced and award-winning<br />

mental health trainer, coach and mindfulness teacher.<br />

If you want to know more about Kirsty, head to her<br />

LinkedIn page for her latest updates.<br />

Connect with her today: https://bit.ly/3qz3fyE


WAYS TO BE A<br />

8IN A POST-PANDEMIC WORLD<br />

Whether we lead an organisation, a team, a project or a specific activity, lockdown has<br />

thrown us a fair few curveballs. With so many of our ways to communicate, connect and<br />

collaborate seemingly turned upside down, there’s been a lot of talk during the<br />

pandemic about the need for a total re-think on how we lead.<br />

However, when we look at the leaders (in all walks of life) who have done a brilliant job<br />

throughout the last 12 months or so, from where I’m standing their leadership approach<br />

hasn't had to change at all. Granted, it might have been delivered slightly differently but<br />

it’s remained entirely focused on the age-old principles of leading others that have never<br />

actually changed (and probably never will).<br />

A TIMELESS RECIPE FOR LEADING OTHERS<br />

In all of the work we do to support successful people to become brilliant leaders, we focus<br />

on eight key ingredients which, together, form a timeless recipe for leading others.<br />

So what are the eight ingredients?<br />

Whether we’re in a pandemic, an economic crisis or a market boom, when these eight<br />

ingredients work hand in hand, the magic happens all round. Leaders feel confident and<br />

informed, teams feel valued and empowered and organisations flourish and fly.


Jester Consulting’s website is having a facelift<br />

ahead of some exciting news next month so get<br />

in touch with the team to find out more:<br />

hello@jester-consulting.com.<br />

ONE<br />

YOU - uniquely you on your A-Game<br />

Any leader can only be a brilliant leader when they understand who they are and<br />

how that determines the way they lead. As a leader, what are your superpowers<br />

(AKA big strengths)?<br />

What are your values and beliefs? Where are you vulnerable and where do you<br />

need help? This is the ONLY starting point on any leadership journey and results<br />

in authentic leaders who are valued, respected and loved.<br />

TWO<br />

HUMAN - human connection trumps all<br />

The pandemic has led to the biggest blend of<br />

personal and professional in history - so<br />

many of us have literally taken our work into<br />

our front rooms, opening up visibility of so<br />

much more of our lives and families than ever<br />

before.<br />

The immediate move to normalise and<br />

embrace this from Jacinda Arden on the eve<br />

of the first lockdown decision in New Zealand<br />

role modelled a human approach superbly -<br />

watch it here. Human leaders prevail.


FELT - feeling first and foremost<br />

‘People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will<br />

never forget how you made them feel.’ (Maya Angelou).<br />

Even the toughest conversations can leave people feeling valued, respected and<br />

heard. Leaders who openly share how they feel and demonstrate compassion<br />

leave an aura of good feeling. Check out a brilliant pandemic example of this<br />

from the Marriott International CEO, Arne Sorenson here.<br />

FOUR<br />

TUNED - we learn nothing when we’re talking<br />

Leaders who listen, deeply, are lifelong learners and get things right, so<br />

much faster, with the support of the people they serve.<br />

One CEO we support set up company tribes the minute the pandemic<br />

hit for homeschoolers, live-aloners, parents of young adults, gym<br />

missers - and more. It resulted in immediate support<br />

networks and a way for her to hear the needs and<br />

challenges of her people firsthand. Brilliant leaders<br />

tune in.<br />

Leaders need to connect with both the left<br />

and right-brain, the visual, audio and written<br />

learners, the introverts and extraverts, the<br />

‘thinkers’ and the ‘feelers’. If you’re a leader,<br />

it’s essential that you mix up how you<br />

communicate across a variety of platforms<br />

(even those where you feel less comfortable).<br />

There’s no one size fits all, even in a<br />

pandemic. Creating communication that has<br />

different colours and is accessible to all is<br />

also vital.<br />

CHAMELEON - don’t just be<br />

one colour and always mix it up


RESPONSIVE - everyone<br />

has a plan until...<br />

‘Everyone has a plan until you get<br />

punched in the face.’ (Mike Tyson).<br />

Being responsive as a leader is about<br />

more than having a plan B, C and D. It’s<br />

about responding to the human being,<br />

the emotion, the question in front of<br />

you.<br />

The leaders who are there, visible,<br />

available always and who say, ‘right<br />

now, I don’t know, but I’m fighting with<br />

every fibre of my being to work it out’<br />

have triumphed through the pandemic<br />

(and always will).<br />

SEVEN<br />

CURIOUS - beyond the seen and heard<br />

The definition of curiosity is to be eager to know or learn something. When we demonstrate<br />

curiosity with our teams, colleagues or customers - it feels great for them and it unlocks<br />

insight we would never get to otherwise.<br />

We suggest leaders ask at least two totally open questions at the start of every conversation,<br />

one to one or with the team. Even in the midst of challenge, make space for curiosity.<br />

EIGHT<br />

FUN - Jestology in all times<br />

Leaders who laugh and help others to laugh create a culture of openness, learning and fun.<br />

Fun is so much more than jokes, it’s activating the power of storysharing, connecting<br />

through celebration, laughing through shared experience. We call it Jestology and it’s an<br />

essential ingredient in the leadership mix, in good times and in times of challenge.


TALK<br />

MEMBERS<br />

MEET THE MEMBER<br />

Thank you for agreeing to be<br />

interviewed for the latest Talk<br />

Business Magazine and in this<br />

interview, we want to get to<br />

know the member better to<br />

share with our readership.<br />

What is your name?<br />

Hana Smiddy<br />

MEET<br />

HANA SMIDDY<br />

What do you do for a living?<br />

I’m Assistant to Michael<br />

Plomer-Roberts MD of Mike Roberts<br />

Property and Take Flight Aviation<br />

Ltd.<br />

What is the name of your company<br />

or the company you work for?<br />

I work for both Mike Roberts<br />

Property where we own and<br />

manage a portfolio of 10-character<br />

commercial properties inclusive of<br />

6 multi tenanted, fully serviced,<br />

business centres in Warwickshire<br />

and Take Flight Aviation where we<br />

offer aircraft hire and flight training<br />

up to PPL (Private Pilots Licence)<br />

Where are you based?<br />

Warwickshire and Oxfordshire<br />

How would you<br />

describe your<br />

job?<br />

As Assistant to<br />

an incredibly<br />

busy and<br />

creative MD like<br />

Mike I would<br />

describe my job as a heady mix of<br />

the mundane and the inspired!<br />

Along with generally running the<br />

businesses; monthly invoices,<br />

purchase ledger, service charge<br />

management, leases, viewings,<br />

renewals, maintenance, general<br />

sales,<br />

marketing and<br />

tea making I<br />

organise<br />

insightful<br />

events for the<br />

members of<br />

Take Flight<br />

Aviation.<br />

I’m also mentor for our Apprentices<br />

and feel very passionate about<br />

offering educational days and work<br />

experience to schools, colleges and<br />

organisations like the Scouts and<br />

Guides. We also offer charities a<br />

thrilling way to raise awareness and<br />

funds by completing the Loop the<br />

Loop Challenge!<br />

Something really exciting I’m are<br />

working on is ‘Cockpit<br />

Conversations’, a new series on our<br />

You Tube channel, where we take<br />

people off the air into the air and


have a chat while flying over their home<br />

town.<br />

Lockdown restrictions has slowed us down<br />

a little but now flying is back from <strong>April</strong><br />

12th we’re raring to go. We have some<br />

amazing guests lined up! Check out<br />

previous episodes here:<br />

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAMqWFpKOhKRaCsj<br />

U8YKZz0lr9Y2jXU2M<br />

How long have you been doing what you<br />

do?<br />

7 years<br />

Do you have a typical client profile and<br />

what is it?<br />

Mike Roberts Property would be ideal for<br />

the business owner looking to move out of<br />

their home office and into a more<br />

professional space with character. A<br />

business owner who has a larger HQ office<br />

but looking for a regional office where they<br />

can offer less of a commute and social<br />

distanced working but still within a town<br />

that caters for their staff, on the high street,<br />

with all the amenities. Finally, larger<br />

businesses looking to downsize, which is<br />

more common as a result of the pandemic.<br />

Take Flight Aviation is looking for the<br />

aviation enthusiast; the current pilot<br />

looking for the best hire rates and terms<br />

out there. We have no restrictions hire, if<br />

you need a plane for the whole day, the<br />

weekend or even a week, Take Flight are<br />

for you. We are also looking for the future<br />

pilot seeking to gain their pilots licence<br />

and be surrounded by inspirational people.<br />

Any organisations looking to host a unique<br />

event or offer sales incentives can find<br />

assistance at Take Flight, and finally,<br />

people wanting to buy that special gift, a<br />

gift of flight!<br />

What do you enjoy about what you do?<br />

I love the people. I feel inspired by people<br />

and their passions. I get that with both the<br />

property tenants, when they’re excited<br />

about their businesses and their teams’<br />

successes, and the members at Take Flight<br />

Aviation. There is something very special<br />

about being on the ground when a student<br />

pilot lands from their very first solo flight.<br />

What do you do outside of work to relax<br />

and unwind?<br />

I hang out with my son and husband. We<br />

love walking our dog Lando (our crazy<br />

Springer Spaniel) and Hayden and I love<br />

roller blading in the park. I’m also learning<br />

how to play Fortnite so I can team with my<br />

son - I was a fan of Super Mario Brothers<br />

circa 1996 – the games are so different now<br />

though! I love to read and listen to<br />

podcasts. I really enjoy the gym and can’t<br />

wait for the Body Pump class to come back<br />

soon.<br />

What is your favourite cake?<br />

My favourite cake is any cake - I couldn’t<br />

chose – they’re all too yummy! I love to<br />

bake so there is always a cake of some sort<br />

in the house (hence the ‘looking forward to<br />

the gym reopening)<br />

Tell us one<br />

thing that<br />

people would<br />

not know about<br />

you?<br />

People may not<br />

know I’m a<br />

Scout Leader,<br />

1st Leek<br />

Wootton Beaver<br />

Scouts, and I<br />

celebrate 5<br />

years’ service this year. My claim to fame is<br />

that I was the first ‘girl’ Scout! I never<br />

fancied girl guides and my mum was a<br />

Scout leader. When they said girls could<br />

join the scouts which was only for boys… I<br />

was the first in the queue!<br />

How can people get in touch with you or<br />

connect with you?<br />

We are everywhere on the socials you’d<br />

expect to see us, so do check us out.<br />

I can be found on LinkedIn: Hana Smiddy |<br />

LinkedIn or you can email me at<br />

office@mikerobertsproperty.com, or on the<br />

telephone here 07432 321 615.


TALK<br />

MARKETING<br />

WHY<br />

PRINT?<br />

In an era of digital domination does print<br />

still have purpose? In this article we take<br />

a look at why printing is still relevant and<br />

why marketers should use print media to<br />

stand out from their competitors and<br />

attract audiences.<br />

WHY PRINT?<br />

It is more important than ever for brands to<br />

maintain their share of voice and to ensure<br />

that creative communication is more<br />

relevant and engaging than their rivals.<br />

How can this be achieved when it is so easy<br />

to get lost in the day-to-day competitive<br />

world of social media and digital<br />

marketing?<br />

This is where print cuts through the noise;<br />

when used thoughtfully print marketing<br />

can produce fantastic business results, and<br />

here’s why….<br />

DIGITAL OVERLOAD<br />

- Consumers today constantly face more<br />

and more information online - people are<br />

overloaded with digital information.<br />

“Mail is open, read or filed giving it a 94%<br />

engagement rate, compared with an email<br />

open rate of 20% and click through rate on<br />

online advertising of 5-10%.” - Royal Mail<br />

Market Reach.<br />

A QUESTION OF TRUST<br />

- Print is seen as an honest, dependable<br />

source, when compared with digital media.<br />

The term ‘fake news’ is often banded about<br />

with the validity of online sources often<br />

being questioned.<br />

“Print advertising is trusted by 82% of<br />

respondents, compared to just 43% for<br />

social media advertising.” - Marketing<br />

Sherpa<br />

PRINT GETS NOTICED<br />

- Print is tangible, you can touch and feel it.<br />

You can pick different materials and use<br />

various printing techniques to provide a<br />

sensory appeal that words on a screen just<br />

can’t compete with.<br />

BETTER RETENTION RATES<br />

- Digital media is often ignored, deleted or<br />

scrolled past but studies have shown that<br />

consumers have better retention rates<br />

when consuming print, coupled with this,<br />

print is longer lasting;<br />

“A piece of mail can remain in a home for<br />

more than 28 days, reinforcing a message<br />

for a month, and giving the brand presence<br />

in the home.” - Nicky Bullard, Chairwoman<br />

& Chief Creative Office MRM/McCann &<br />

Royal Mail Market Reach<br />

GDPR COMPLIANT<br />

- Working from home has become the<br />

norm for many, now is the ideal time to run<br />

a targeted direct mail campaign. In


addition consent is not required from the<br />

consumer to mail them in their own home.<br />

WORLD LEADER IN<br />

SUSTAINABILITY<br />

- The print and paper industry is a world<br />

leader when it comes to sustainable<br />

materials, renewable energy and recycling.<br />

‘Go Paperless – Go Green’ is one of the<br />

world’s biggest myths and is known as<br />

Greenwashing. Paper remains one of the<br />

best environmentally friendly media.<br />

PRINT AND DIGITAL<br />

However, having said all this there is no<br />

denying that digital marketing is here to<br />

stay, the best way to get results is therefore<br />

to combine print and digital marketing.<br />

Print can be used effectively to increase<br />

traffic to digital channels this can be<br />

achieved by, for example, using social<br />

media handles on printed material, QR<br />

codes linking to websites, unique URLs or<br />

even SMS codes which enable potential<br />

customers to connect online. These<br />

techniques can lead to increased response<br />

rates and greater tracking of leads.<br />

Combining your digital marketing with<br />

print creates a dynamic marketing strategy<br />

that will reach your target audience and<br />

deliver return on investment.<br />

For more information about the benefits of<br />

print, read the Why Print? white paper<br />

produced by Prontaprint by clicking here;<br />

www.printers.prontaprint.com/reports-publications<br />

For more information on Prontaprint, please visit:<br />

www.printers.prontaprint.com or email us on<br />

hello@printers.prontaprint.com


WORKSHOPS<br />

OFFICES<br />

Flexible Terms, Co Working Space,<br />

Serviced Offices, Workshops,<br />

Storage. Ideally located near M1<br />

Situated in Northamptonshire and it is the<br />

perfect creative environment to work in.<br />

STORAGE<br />

E: space@the-depot.uk T: 01327 341303 W: the-depot.uk


TALK<br />

MARKETING<br />

WHAT IS<br />

PERSONAL<br />

BRANDING<br />

PHOTOGRAPHY?<br />

AND WHY IS IT<br />

DIFFERENT FROM A<br />

HEADSHOT?<br />

BRANDING PHOTOS -<br />

Branding photos for a TV presenter and vet based<br />

in the Cotswolds.<br />

For a small business owner, an online<br />

presence is a necessity. For many business<br />

owners who offer a personalised service,<br />

that online presence needs to reflect the<br />

brand values of the business.<br />

It might be being seen as an inspiring<br />

leader, a thoughtful advisor or teacher, a<br />

creative artist or a dynamic coach. It might<br />

include outstanding customer service &<br />

care along with expert status.<br />

The brand shows what someone stands for<br />

and is known for, rather than just their<br />

commercial intent or their local celebrity<br />

status. The brand then helps immensely<br />

with marketing, because the core values


Branding<br />

photographs.<br />

BRANDING PHOTOS -<br />

A few branding photos from the collection of<br />

leadership coach Anna Jester (see also the<br />

cover photo). There’s a consistent splash of the<br />

same key brand colour in most of the images.<br />

are clear, attracting ideal clients while<br />

helping to filter out prospective clients who<br />

aren’t a good match.<br />

But how to best to communicate a brand?<br />

A bespoke collection of on-brand images<br />

that portray the whole ethos, values and<br />

personality of the person is one way. This<br />

is personal brand photography, and it’s<br />

very different to a few headshots. It might<br />

be a portfolio of over 100 professional<br />

images that includes the person in a variety<br />

of roles and locations, reflecting who they<br />

are, their message, the service or products<br />

that they sell, together with personal and<br />

business items that have stories behind<br />

them.<br />

Combined with text that clearly<br />

communicates, these can be used to reveal<br />

the values and journey of the person,<br />

making them much more credible and<br />

relatable. Marketers will recognise this<br />

“high quality collateral”.<br />

With the need to give websites and social<br />

media more & more content, a collection of<br />

images like this can be invaluable,<br />

providing many months worth of content.<br />

It can be tempting to use stock images, but<br />

they are generic and not unique to a<br />

brand. Plus there’s no consistency. To<br />

create your own brand photography<br />

library, a good starting point is to take<br />

photos of the things that have been<br />

important to your business journey.<br />

Anything from your diary, your first<br />

business card, the little things that inspire<br />

you, images that match your mood, people<br />

that helped, where you work, etc. All this<br />

helps build the know, like and trust that is<br />

so important to attract ideal clients.<br />

To create the best photos of small items in<br />

good light, put them close to a window,<br />

but out of direct sunlight, and take a series<br />

of photos while you have everything setup.<br />

Layflat shots, taken from directly above, are<br />

popular.<br />

Perhaps get a friend or two to act as your<br />

clients and create some photos of you<br />

providing your service. Planning of clothes<br />

and location are key. Getting photos of<br />

real (and happy!) clients is a fantastic way<br />

to accompany glowing testimonials. There<br />

are lots of good reasons to start building a<br />

library of images about your business.<br />

The author, Laurence Jones, is a personal<br />

branding photographer based in Warwickshire.If<br />

you are in need of some personal branding<br />

images, please get in touch:<br />

www.ljonesphotography.co.uk


WE INTERVIEWED CLARE SEED FROM<br />

TIDAL TRAINING DIRECT LTD<br />

TALK<br />

SUPPORT<br />

When was the company founded?<br />

<strong>April</strong> 2017<br />

Where is the company based?<br />

Cheltenham, Gloucestershire<br />

How many staff does the company have?<br />

A team of 10 paramedics and first<br />

responders<br />

What does the company do?<br />

Teaches workplace first aid to support HSE<br />

requirements and to give staff the<br />

confidence, skills and knowledge to assist<br />

in the event of a workplace accident, injury<br />

or emergency.<br />

What is your company specialism?<br />

High quality Ofqual regulated safe and<br />

socially distanced face to face First Aid<br />

training, focussing on practical skills such<br />

as CPR how to use a defibrillator, choking<br />

and seizures. We teach all subjects first aid<br />

related from anaphylaxis to wound care<br />

management.<br />

Do you support a charity, if so who and<br />

how do you support the charity?<br />

We actively support several charities and<br />

local appeals. Our key partner is GWAAC.<br />

Director Clare is the Co-Founder of Public<br />

Hearts Cheltenham - raising awareness and<br />

numbers of lifesaving defibrillators in<br />

Cheltenham. Learn more here:<br />

https://tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk/public-hearts-ch<br />

eltenham-24-hr-public-access-defibrillator/<br />

Why is the company a great company to<br />

work for?<br />

With over 120 5-star reviews and a<br />

reputation for outstanding training, what<br />

our clients reflect about us is much more<br />

impactful than anything we could say about<br />

ourselves! Nothing is more important than<br />

helping some-one when they need it most<br />

and that’s what we take the greatest pride<br />

in teaching.<br />

www.tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk<br />

Give our readers an insight to what you<br />

do:<br />

Here’s a poignant story of how vital<br />

learning first aid is, read here:<br />

https://www.facebook.com/dordie.ketley/posts/1<br />

563753680485288<br />

What is the company vision?<br />

To teach first aid and life saving skills to the<br />

best of our ability to help someone when<br />

they need it most<br />

Where are your customers based?<br />

(local, national, international)<br />

England and Wales<br />

How does the company attract new<br />

customers?<br />

Referrals, recommendations and renewals<br />

APRIL’S<br />

BUSINESS


UP<br />

As industries grapples with sporadic<br />

sales, supply chain issues, restructures<br />

and redundancies it is so important<br />

that we stick together, innovate and<br />

demonstrate inherent human values<br />

of generosity, hope and kindness.”<br />

There is still time and energy to<br />

invest in people who have been<br />

made redundant.”<br />

Thankfully, our industry may be<br />

less affected than others, as<br />

customers focus on home<br />

improvements and renovations.”<br />

Fisher & Paykel’s David<br />

Woollcott launches a<br />

not-for-profit to support<br />

redundancies.<br />

Our vision is to reduce the<br />

personal and psychological impact<br />

of redundancy, understand the<br />

circumstances, give hope, show<br />

respect and encourage<br />

meaningful, ‘forward-facing’ steps.<br />

After hearing of a large number of lay-offs, I was<br />

upset and concerned so I sent out quick post to<br />

my LinkedIn network (whilst making dinner),<br />

offering free advice and a listening ear. By 7am<br />

the following morning, this single post had<br />

received 50,000+ views, countless shares from<br />

all over the world, hundreds of heart-warming<br />

words of encourgement and 70 requests for<br />

call! That’s a lot of social media action for<br />

someone who specialises in luxury appliances!<br />

Being the MD of a growing organisation in the<br />

UK, 60 hours per week is the normal. By 9pm<br />

Other industries, like the Arts<br />

and travel are having a torrid<br />

time and have my full<br />

sympathy. I believe the<br />

SaddleUp! vision will work<br />

across all industries.”<br />

I had no idea that people, complete<br />

strangers, would actually want to talk to<br />

me, it was more an offer for those people<br />

who were notified of redundancy that they<br />

were not alone, there is a way forward and<br />

it may be better than the role they already<br />

had!”


that evening, I had completed 3 fascinating<br />

video calls and was booked out until<br />

October. The need was demonstrated by<br />

this small activity and I was determined to<br />

find a wider application and scale it,<br />

quickly. The need is now and this had<br />

quickly become my ‘side-gig.’<br />

“WHO SAYS THAT REDUNDANCY<br />

IS ALWAYS A BAD THING, AT<br />

TIMES IT IS A RELIEF!”<br />

Following a call out on LinkedIn,<br />

appointments were booked.<br />

By mid-August, I have completed more<br />

than 50 calls with would-be strangers to<br />

help them through such challenging times.<br />

It has been an incredible experience, one<br />

which has given way more to me than it has<br />

taken. This is what I have spent some of my<br />

evenings and my weekends doing.<br />

Thanks to the first callers, I now have a<br />

model on which I want to improve and<br />

build on. I want to create a not-for-profit.<br />

Already, many have found their next role<br />

and when they write to me I cannot explain<br />

the happiness I feel, that I was able to help<br />

and encourage an unknown professional,<br />

in their moment of anguish. When we help<br />

one another, without commercial gain or<br />

favour, it is an amazing feeling and it’s<br />

needed now more than ever!<br />

In 18 years, I have directly and indirectly<br />

recruited over 300 people and am<br />

recruiting currently so have a long history<br />

of what stands out, what attitudes are<br />

required and how to ‘SaddleUp!’ I cannot<br />

sprinkle fairy dust or wave a magic wand<br />

but it is amazing what peer-to-peer<br />

encouragement can do; how it can<br />

turbo-charge someone’s self esteem.<br />

The Government is reporting record<br />

redundancies, not seen since the GFC and<br />

companies are planning for the end to the<br />

furlough support arrangements. It’s an<br />

unsettling time and we cannot rely on the<br />

Government alone to find the solutions. It<br />

is businesses, large and small and<br />

individuals who will drive our economy<br />

back to full strength but it will take some<br />

goodwill and charity from our leaders<br />

across all business sectors.<br />

“In reality, we may see that our industry fairs<br />

well as people focus on their home<br />

environments by investing in their kitchens,<br />

bathrooms and gardens. Afterall, the<br />

annual trip to the Med, Cornwall and France<br />

or further afield has been difficult if not<br />

impossible to achieve this year. In the<br />

meantime, companies may well shed staff<br />

to save costs and protect their core.”<br />

The government has spent a fortune<br />

propping up industry and providing a<br />

life-line to most sectors but they have<br />

admitted that redundancies and the social<br />

consequences will be severe in the short<br />

term. The impact on mental health and<br />

families is more severe still.<br />

At this time, the strength of our industry is<br />

in its ability to drive competitive forces for<br />

the good of our customers, whilst sticking<br />

together and collaborating. At Fisher &<br />

Paykel, we understand human values<br />

deeply and are encouraged to lean on<br />

these at all times. If our team can commit<br />

energy to these causes, we are more than<br />

happy to support it.<br />

With this thought, I decided to build a<br />

concept for a small not-for-profit and<br />

commit just 2 hours per week to those who<br />

wanted to talk to me. I have nothing<br />

special to offer, apart from having been<br />

made redundant in the past and having<br />

made redundancies myself, I am also a<br />

good listener and take a deep interest in<br />

people. What I don’t do is give advice!<br />

Both being made redundant and making<br />

redundancies are horrible, emotionally<br />

draining experiences which need<br />

supporting by peers, friends and family. I<br />

decided I can offer this in addition to<br />

leading the changes going on in our own<br />

business. The weekends and evening<br />

provided a window in my diary to connect.<br />

The project is called ‘SaddleUp!’ It only


exists as a small communications platform<br />

on LinkedIn and FaceBook, supported by<br />

friends and experts who are guiding me<br />

through and providing encouragement.<br />

Some of my contacts and colleagues have<br />

been incredibly generous with their time.<br />

This isn’t my typical area of expertise! They<br />

are all seeing the need, they get the<br />

concept immediately and cheering me on.<br />

Many of my friends who have been made<br />

redundant or have suffered a career<br />

wobble wish that they had a free, no<br />

pressure service like this to get started.<br />

I am not a psychologist or trained<br />

councillor, this is important; I don’t offer<br />

advice. But what I do focus on is listening<br />

and steering the professional towards their<br />

own way of thinking, their own plan and<br />

their own future. I then try to chunk it<br />

down into some small steps. This isn’t a<br />

complex skill and I’m confident that I can<br />

find the right people from all sectors to join<br />

me, in time.<br />

Each caller has been at a very different<br />

stage. Some have been furious and<br />

needed someone to vent to, I was happy to<br />

take this call as confronting as it may be.<br />

They can’t shout at their spouse, their<br />

family or their friends but they can tuck into<br />

me! Hearing the relief when they have said<br />

what they have always want to say is<br />

amazing, it’s the beginning of the rebuild.<br />

During the height of the Covid-19<br />

lockdown, pubs and restaurants were<br />

closed, so this avenue of light<br />

relief was also shut off.<br />

across the table takes no pleasure in<br />

making a redundancy. It is often a<br />

commercial necessity to save the business<br />

and the remaining employees.<br />

The vision is to recruit fellow industry<br />

leaders (or leaders outside of my industry)<br />

who have been in a situation, which is a<br />

reality of today’s environment. The truth is,<br />

many learn from the experiences and go<br />

on to do bigger and better things, look at<br />

Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs<br />

and millions of others…. They were all<br />

made redundant and went on to do<br />

amazing things.<br />

My Dad was made redundant in 1980 and<br />

went on to set up his own business, which<br />

was successful, he wouldn’t have done this<br />

without a letter of redundancy. I am also<br />

much happier following my own<br />

redundancy and want to turbo charge this<br />

line of thinking in others.<br />

There are between 50,000 – 100,000<br />

people who are made redundant in any<br />

given month in the UK. That is around<br />

17,000 per week! It is a financial burden, a<br />

mental health issue and a destroyer of<br />

confidence. My vision is to tackle the<br />

mental health issues and the damage to<br />

self-esteem in good time to allow a bounce<br />

back, a Saddle-Up! The economic impact<br />

is also vast. Our ability to bounce back as a<br />

nation and not take a set-back, a national<br />

tragedy as a mortal wound will be<br />

incredibly important. I want to call on<br />

Some were pragmatic and<br />

relaxed but just wanted a<br />

business leader, manager or<br />

mentor with an empathetic ear<br />

to understand the concern and<br />

see it impartially.<br />

I also shared my experience of<br />

redundancy and having made<br />

great people redundant, both of<br />

which were deeply unpleasant. I<br />

think it is important to<br />

understand that the HR Manager<br />

or business leader who is sat


industry and civic leaders in all sectors to<br />

engage very directly with those who are<br />

personally impacted. This means opening<br />

up.<br />

Employers are also terrible at the<br />

redundancy and restructuring process in<br />

my experience. It is full of litigation,<br />

silences, fumbled communications, NDAs<br />

and that all lead to frayed relationships<br />

and potential PR disasters. We need to<br />

understand the human element and treat<br />

each other as equals, as humans. There is<br />

fear on side of the employer as well as on<br />

the side of the employee. I can’t think of a<br />

more artificial, in-humane process from<br />

employers who were once your biggest<br />

supporter. No wonder it feels like a<br />

betrayal.<br />

Long term, I would like to see wider and<br />

longstanding IR and employment reform<br />

where a redundancy process is outlined<br />

before someone is employed.<br />

Competitive and comparative forces will<br />

be then be set up to drive improvements.<br />

Fisher & Paykel has a strong social focus<br />

and an even stronger set of human values.<br />

We apply this to our customers and our<br />

own teams.<br />

SaddleUp! has its own LinkedIn page and<br />

Facebook page but remains in its infancy.<br />

David is working with his contacts and<br />

friends pro bono to build a website<br />

quickly to expand the reach of this free of<br />

charge service. The limits will be my time,<br />

so I need to recruit a team of ‘Saddlers’<br />

from different industry sectors willing to<br />

give up 2 hours of their week.<br />

If you want more information about SaddleUp! find<br />

out more on LinkedIn:<br />

Keep up to date: https://bit.ly/2Qicc2X<br />

- A peer to peer, human to human call<br />

where the Saddler listens to someone in<br />

their approximate industry who has just<br />

been made redundant.<br />

- Experiences and insights are shared,<br />

empathy is shown and a relationship of<br />

mutual respect, encouragement and hope<br />

is built.<br />

- The Saddler can also review past<br />

employment, LinkedIn profiles and CVs<br />

and provide a few hints and tips to get<br />

started and become slowly future<br />

focussed.<br />

- SaddleUp shows that leaders across a<br />

wide category of industry sectors cares for<br />

its people, supports them in challenging<br />

times and understands human frailties.<br />

- SaddleUp also respects companies who<br />

have had to make difficult decisions<br />

- SaddleUp isn’t medical or psychological<br />

and shouldn’t be presented as such.<br />

- SaddleUp doesn’t generate revenue or<br />

refer to businesses who charge fees, it isn’t<br />

a pool for recruiters.<br />

- SaddleUp doesn’t provide fixed advice or<br />

steer conversations.<br />

WHAT’S NEXT?<br />

More research, more fact finding and more<br />

calls. As it exists at the moment, it is<br />

working and of great value for some<br />

people who I am connected with and that’s<br />

good enough for me.<br />

Ultimately, I believe in a bigger topic, a<br />

wider conversation and more decisive<br />

action from each and every one of our<br />

business and civic leaders across the<br />

country and would love to think that<br />

SaddleUp! could be the inspiration.


iLEAD<br />

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KEY<br />

FEATURES<br />

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Make the most of our chat helpline during<br />

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hello@iplusgroup.co.uk | 01242 312121 | www.iplusgroup.co.uk<br />

powered by iPlusGROUP


TALK<br />

OPERATIONS<br />

THE ECOMMERCE<br />

A staggering 17.2 million Brits<br />

have turned their attention to<br />

online shopping in recent times<br />

and it’s a trend that shows no<br />

signs of slowing down.<br />

At Stratford Storage and Distribution (SSD)<br />

we have seen a significant increase in<br />

enquiries and new customers in the<br />

Ecommerce space. It’s an exciting time, for<br />

new and existing online sellers, but the<br />

complexities and jargon can also feel like<br />

a blocker - luckily, we are here to keep it<br />

simple!<br />

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?<br />

Opportunities in Ecommerce, also known<br />

as electronic commerce or internet<br />

commerce, have never been greater yet in<br />

other ways more complicated - including<br />

the confusing Brexit import and export red<br />

tape and the rising costs and limitations to<br />

using fulfilment centres, such as Amazon.<br />

THERE ARE FOUR MAIN TYPES<br />

OF ECOMMERCE:<br />

B2C (Business-to-Consumer)<br />

B2B (Business-to-Business)<br />

C2B (Consumer-to-Business)<br />

C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)<br />

Product:<br />

If you’re just starting out, the first step is<br />

knowing what products you want to sell<br />

and it’s quite easy to feel like you’re in a<br />

‘sweet shop’ but there’s a few key<br />

questions to ask yourself, to ensure you<br />

create a product offering that’s timely,<br />

relevant and meaningful:<br />

- What products, niches or industry are<br />

you particularly passionate about or<br />

interested in?


- What products, niches or industries are<br />

your friends passionate about?<br />

- What pain points do you have in your<br />

own life?<br />

Storage:<br />

Start-up’s in particular often don’t factor in<br />

storage, both in terms of cost and capacity<br />

(often your living space!) You’ll need to<br />

think about where your product is being<br />

taken once it has been dispatched to you<br />

from the supplier – your home, office, lock<br />

up or unit? All of these options have<br />

overheads and may also not be the most<br />

secure option.<br />

For existing sellers, planning to ensure you<br />

can scale quickly for your business is key,<br />

to ensure you have greater capacity for<br />

both permanent or intermediary space<br />

between your product arriving and going<br />

to a fulfilment centre, such as Amazon.<br />

Fulfilment:<br />

What does fulfilment mean? In essence it’s<br />

the process that ensures your orders leave<br />

where they are stored, in the way that fits<br />

with your offering. It’s important to think<br />

about using a partner who understands<br />

your fulfilment needs - via an easy process,<br />

on time, in great condition and presented<br />

in a way that represents your brand. If you<br />

are existing seller make sure your provider<br />

is able to easily integrate with your<br />

existing platforms; at SSD the Mintsoft<br />

platform meaning sellers can check their<br />

stock in real time, customise their brand<br />

and reporting.<br />

Distribution:<br />

The most important outcome is that orders<br />

are delivered on time, whether it’s to a<br />

fulfilment centre or directly into the hands<br />

of your customers.<br />

If you are a start-up you might have<br />

already spent time queuing at the Post<br />

Office - not ideal if you want to grow the<br />

business and get the best rates for<br />

distribution! Make sure you work with a<br />

partner who gives you great<br />

accountability, with full tracking and proof<br />

of delivery; we think this is absolutely key<br />

to ensuring that your customers get a<br />

great service, and you get peace of mind.<br />

For those operating on a larger scale, from<br />

platforms such as Amazon, QVC and Ebay,<br />

SSD are able to ‘Fulfil By Merchant’ (FBM)<br />

to your customer.<br />

Our experience means we know the areas<br />

that sellers, new and existing, can get<br />

stuck on. Our approach means we can flex<br />

and work with you on your journey, to<br />

grow, scale and everything in between!<br />

Talk to us about how we can support you,<br />

so you get your products into the hands of<br />

your customers in time, cost effect and<br />

stress-free way – you can also download a<br />

copy of our Get Started In Ecommerce<br />

Guide HERE.<br />

<strong>April</strong> marks our 5th Birthday – join us over<br />

on our social channels to celebrate!<br />

Insta: @ssd.ltd<br />

Facebook: /SSDLtd<br />

If you want more information about SSD, you can<br />

visit the website:<br />

www.ssd.uk.net, or call 01789 777 905 and email<br />

at office@ssd.net.uk


MEMBERS<br />

Accounting<br />

A leading independent firm of chartered<br />

accountants in Stratford-upon-Avon, working<br />

with clients across Warwickshire, the wider<br />

Midlands and beyond.<br />

DAFFERNS CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS<br />

www.dafferns.com - 02476 221 046 - sophie.essex-masmoudi@dafferns.com<br />

LEIGH CHRISTOU LTD, ACCOUNTANTS<br />

www.leigh-christou.co.uk - 01926 888 865 - accts@leigh-christou.co.uk<br />

Burgis & Bullock, Warwickshire<br />

Bernard Rogers & Co, Kenilworth & Stratford<br />

Grenfell James Associates, Warwickshire<br />

Murphy Salisbury, Warwickshire<br />

Architects<br />

CORSTORPHINE & WRIGHT ARCHITECTS<br />

www.corstorphine-wright.com - 01926 658 444 - contact@cw-archtiects.co.uk<br />

RICKETT ARCHITECTS & PLANNING CONSULTANTS<br />

www.rickett.co.uk - 01926 291 010 - tracy@rickett.co.uk<br />

Stolwood Architects, Stratford-upon-Avon<br />

Arts and Culture<br />

Motionhouse, Leamington Spa<br />

Beauty<br />

01789 299076 | enq@murphysalisbury.com<br />

www.murphysalisbury.com<br />

iPlusACCOUNTING<br />

01926 422 292<br />

www.hboltd.co.uk<br />

info@hboltd.co.uk<br />

01242 312 121<br />

www.iplusaccounting.co.uk<br />

hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />

NEPHOS ACCOUNTANTS<br />

www.nephosaccounting.co - 01242 260590 - info@nephosaccountants.co<br />

SMART BUSINESS RECOVERY LIMITED<br />

www.smartbusinessrecovery.co.uk - 01926 969 000 - gavin@smartbusinessrecovery.co.uk<br />

07739 420 360<br />

hayleykooner@gmail.com<br />

www.hayleykoonerbeauty.co.uk<br />

Business Coach<br />

Branding<br />

Get a competitive edge with creative design.<br />

Neil Morgan Design offers independent<br />

graphic design and project management<br />

services.<br />

07737 551006 | neil@neilmorgandesign.co.uk<br />

www.neilmorgandesign.co.uk<br />

Cleaning<br />

Goldcrest Cleaning Ltd, Warwick<br />

Coaching<br />

Thorne Coaching, West Midlands<br />

Construction<br />

Consultant<br />

01926 429 435<br />

jargyle@aclloyd.com<br />

www.aclloyd.com<br />

Helping successful people become brilliant<br />

leaders through executive coaching,<br />

leadership development and leadership<br />

07802 294 857 | hello@jester-consulting.com<br />

www.jester-consulting.com<br />

07930 147 799<br />

rebecca@guruyoucoach.com<br />

www.guruyoucoach.com<br />

01926 717 911<br />

www.chrysalismidlands.co.uk<br />

kevin.robinson@chrysalispartners.co.uk<br />

07968 358 961<br />

hello@hello-hospitality.co.uk<br />

www.hello-hospitality.co.uk<br />

Will Marr & Co Ltd, Banbury<br />

01926 800 710<br />

www.riskevolves.com<br />

info@riskevolves.com<br />

AUBURN COACHING & CONSULTANCY<br />

www.auburnconsultancy.co.uk - 07920 400 988 - hello@auburnconsultancy.co.uk<br />

LINGARD CONSULTING<br />

www.lingardconsulting.co.uk - 07711 009 393 - paula@lingardconsulting.co.uk<br />

SJM SOLUTIONS - BUSINESS SUPPORT<br />

www.mytonhospice.org - 07771 266 418<br />

UNIQUE & INCLUSIVE WELLBEING<br />

www.uandiwellbeing.co.uk - 07387 079 536 - helen@uandiwellbeing.co.uk<br />

Action Coach Business Coaching, Warwick<br />

Better Normal Ltd, Warwick<br />

Brave Scene, Warwickshire<br />

Risk Quality Solutions, Oxfordshire<br />

Copywriting<br />

Tantamount (Creative Agency), Coventry<br />

Distribution<br />

SSD Limited are a multi-talented family<br />

business offering storage, fulfilment and<br />

distribution services. We pride ourselves on our<br />

professional and client focussed approach.<br />

01789 777905 | office@ssd.uk.net | ssd.uk.net<br />

Education<br />

07850 665 932<br />

rob@responseconsulting.co.uk<br />

www.responseconsulting.co.uk<br />

THE INDEPENDENT ASSOCIATION OF PREP SCHOOLS<br />

www.iaps.uk - 01926 887 833 - iaps@iaps.uk<br />

RightStep, Leamington Spa<br />

Stratford-Upon-Avon College, Warwickshire<br />

Warwickshire College Group, Warwickshire


Financial<br />

Your total business finance provider. With<br />

access to over 40 UK lenders, we provide<br />

quality finance solutions to businesses<br />

across the country.<br />

IT<br />

PINK CONNECT<br />

www.pinkconnect.com - 0345 450 9393 - sales@pinkconnect.com<br />

Insurance<br />

Marketing<br />

iPlusMARKETING<br />

01789 336 318<br />

homeofdarwin.com<br />

michael@homeofdarwin.com<br />

01242 312 121<br />

hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />

www.iplusmarketing.co.uk<br />

01242 312 121 | hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />

www.iplusfinance.co.uk<br />

Point Me To, Solihull<br />

True Potential Wealth Management, Coventry<br />

Zenith Cost Consultancy, Leamington Spa<br />

First Aid Training<br />

JMP is an independent insurance broker<br />

based in the heart of Cheltenham offering<br />

competitive insurance for all commercial and<br />

lifestyle contracts.<br />

01242 898 387 | info@johngroup.co.uk<br />

www.johnmorganpartnership.co.uk<br />

01926 732 044<br />

netvisibility.co.uk<br />

neil.curtis@netvisibility.co.uk<br />

07768 410097<br />

www.pentacomagency.com<br />

cathryn@pentacomagency.com<br />

02476 232 622<br />

neil_mackey@ajg.com<br />

www.ajg.com/uk/<br />

07794 412 775<br />

www.thetallphotographer.co.uk<br />

charlie@thetallphotographer.co.uk<br />

Food<br />

Tidal Training Direct Ltd are trusted and<br />

gold standard first aid training and<br />

education providers throughout England<br />

and Wales.<br />

01242 371 799 | firstaid@tidaltraining.co.uk<br />

www.tidaltrainingdirect.co.uk<br />

Aubrey Allez, Leamington Spa<br />

Dallas Burston Polo Club, Southam<br />

HR<br />

Health<br />

We’re a creative, strategic<br />

Business Services Agency,<br />

providing services across<br />

the whole HR function<br />

from recruitment, HR,<br />

Organisation Design and<br />

Development and L&D.<br />

07789 221 195<br />

sarahb@freshseed.co.uk<br />

www.freshseed.co.uk<br />

07429 390 430<br />

www.thehrconsultants.co.uk<br />

enquiries@thehrconsultants.co.uk<br />

01242 500 557<br />

hello@hr-star.co.uk<br />

KIRSTY LILLEY, MINDFULNESS TRAINER<br />

07852 251 805 - kirstylilley2903@gmail.com<br />

www.hr-star.co.uk<br />

VOXXLIFE WEARABLE NEUROTECH<br />

ourhealth.voxxlife.com - 07976 158 961 - ourhealth3@outlook.com<br />

Caremark Warwick, Leamington Spa<br />

Concierge Medical, Warwick<br />

Illuminate VR Services Ltd, Warwickshire<br />

Hospitality<br />

STRATFORD PARK HOTEL GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB<br />

www.thestratfordpark.co.uk - 01789 731 857 - golf@thestratfordpark.co.uk<br />

WOOTTON PARK, EVENTS AND BUSINESS CENTRE<br />

www.woottonpark.co.uk - 01564 330 350 - magic@woottonpark.co.uk<br />

Hilton, Warwickshire & Stratford-Upon-Avon<br />

Warwick School Venue and Events, Warwick<br />

MORRISON INSURANCE SOLUTION<br />

www.morrisoninsurance.co.uk - 01789 766 888 - general@morrisoninsurance.co.uk<br />

EML Insurance Brokers, Stratford Upon Avon<br />

WPA Healthcare Practice, Gloucester<br />

WPA Healthcare Practice, Stratford Upon Avon<br />

Legal<br />

Local Authority<br />

Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Warwickshire<br />

Manufacturing<br />

01926 356 000<br />

www.alsterskelley.com<br />

julie.mcgarrigle@alsterskelley.com<br />

01926 883 010<br />

www.wrighthassall.co.uk<br />

emma.marsh@wrighthassall.co.uk<br />

MOORE & TIBBITS SOLICITORS<br />

qualitysolicitors.com - 01926 491 181 - email@moore-tibbits.co.uk<br />

SHAKESPEARE MARTINEAU<br />

www.shma.co.uk - 01789 416 400 - andrew.smith@shma.co.uk<br />

Harper James Solicitors, Sheffield<br />

Hughes Legal Limited, Warwickshire<br />

Lodders Solicitors, Gloucestershire<br />

Spratt Endicott Solicitors, Oxfordshire<br />

WSP Solicitors, Gloucestershire<br />

Since 1959 Vitsœ has made long-living<br />

furniture, always striving to be better rather<br />

than newer, for the many people who share<br />

a profound interest in all of our tomorrows.<br />

01926 936 606 | email@vitsoe.com | www.vitsoe.com/gb<br />

01926 430 510<br />

www.boxfactory.co.uk<br />

sales@boxfactory.co.uk<br />

BLISS MARKETING<br />

07841 577 876 - www.blissmarketing.co.uk - nikki@blissmarketing.co.uk<br />

GLUED - THE BUSINESS OF BRANDING<br />

www.gluedlimited.co.uk - 07787 557 197 - robharrison@gluedlimited.co.uk<br />

THE M GURU<br />

www.themguru.co.uk - tel:07958 478 590 - mguruuk@themguru.co.uk<br />

Footprint Social Media, Stratford Upon Avon<br />

Public Marketing Communications, Leamington Spa<br />

YouNeek Productions, Warwickshire<br />

Media<br />

MATT MADDEN PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

www.mattmadden.photography - 07876 022 498 - matt@mattmadden.photography<br />

SAM STEVENS MEDIA<br />

www.samstevensmedia.co.uk - 07989 301 213 - sam@samstevensmedia.co.uk<br />

Avon Studios Photography, Warwickshire<br />

Photography<br />

I am a very experienced Advertising,<br />

Commercial and Portrait photographer<br />

working for advertising agencies, designers<br />

and direct clients. specialising in portraits,<br />

lifestyle and tourism .<br />

01608 695050 | lorentz@gullachsen.com<br />

www.gullachsen.com<br />

01527 313 250<br />

www.ljonesphotography.co.uk<br />

laurence@ljonesphotography.co.uk<br />

07813 137009<br />

hello@sallycrane.co.uk<br />

www.sallycrane.co.uk<br />

JOHN CLEARY PHOTOGRAPHY<br />

johnclearyphotography.co.uk - 01926 271 128 - talkbusiness@johnclearyphotography.co.uk


Property<br />

Solicitors<br />

Wealth Manager<br />

GRANTCF LTD<br />

www.grantcf.co.uk - 01789 730 380 - sales@grantcf.co.uk<br />

01453 847200<br />

DAVIDSON PERT FINANCIAL ASSOCIATES LTD<br />

A Senior Partner Practice of St. James's Place Wealth Management<br />

MIKE ROBERTS PROPERTY<br />

mikerobertsproperty.com - 01676 532 414 - office@mikerobertsproperty.com<br />

Hygenie Ltd, Nuneaton<br />

Lighting Solutions Plus, Stratford upon Avon<br />

Speakers<br />

www.wspsolicitors.com<br />

marketing@wspsolicitors.com<br />

We work closely with all of our clients,<br />

building a relationship based on trust<br />

and an in-depth understanding of their<br />

personal finances.<br />

The Rosconn Group, Warwickshire<br />

juliekentmbe.com<br />

07966 388 808 | www.davidsonpert.co.uk<br />

gerry.slora@sjpp.co.uk<br />

The Gardensmith, Gloucestershire<br />

Recruitment<br />

Training<br />

Web<br />

THE JOB GURU<br />

www.thejobguru.co.uk - 01242 644 344 - steve@thejobguru.co.uk<br />

Sales<br />

Excelerate Resources finds people for people.<br />

Through our partnerships we work locally and<br />

internationally in all sectors. We have long-term<br />

relationships with employers and candidates,<br />

supported by our networking. A small and<br />

experienced team always happy to chat.<br />

01926 747 606 | david.kelham@excelerateresources.co.uk<br />

www.excelerateresources.co.uk<br />

iPlus Sales are experts in sales lead generation<br />

through both online and offline activity in B2B and<br />

B2C. As a company we are agile and adaptive to the<br />

needs of our clients, our approach a blend of sales<br />

and marketing to provide a comprehensive solution.<br />

01242 312 121 | hello@iplusgroup.co.uk<br />

iplussales.co.uk<br />

Serviced Offices<br />

01242 300 288<br />

www.hoorayworks.co.uk<br />

dan@hoorayworks.co.uk<br />

01676 532 414<br />

www.mikerobertsproperty.com<br />

office@mikerobertsproperty.com<br />

EVOLVE GLOBAL SOLUTIONS LTD<br />

evolveglobal.co.uk - 07496 548 382 - afshan@evolve-global.uk<br />

UP FRONT TRAINING AND COACHING<br />

www.uftraining.co.uk - 07795 474 074 - info@uftraining.co.uk<br />

First Impressions Training, Stratford Upon Avon<br />

Purple Monster, Leamington Spa<br />

Travel<br />

NOT JUST TRAVEL<br />

bobgrace.notjusttravel.com - 07484 284 877 - bob.grace@notjusttravel.com<br />

Utilities<br />

RH Utilities Ltd, Warwickshire<br />

Vehicles<br />

Videography<br />

02477 752 772<br />

www.firstsafetytrainingservices.co.uk<br />

alison@firstsafetytrainingservices.co.uk<br />

01789 294831<br />

www.speartravels.net<br />

beverly.clarke@speartravels.net<br />

02476 158 448<br />

www.electriczoo.co.uk<br />

hello@electriczoo.co.uk<br />

01789 416 990<br />

www.definitionmedia.co.uk<br />

info@definitionmedia.co.uk<br />

We design and devekop WordPress<br />

website that show the world how awesome<br />

your business is. With over 10 years<br />

experience, we are commited to<br />

supporting local Warickshire businesses.<br />

BLUE SQUIRREL SOFTWARE<br />

www.blue-sq.co.uk - 01386 800 350 - james@bluemarblestudio.co.uk<br />

Wellbeing<br />

Charities<br />

01789 330 270 | hello@encode.agency<br />

www.encode.agency<br />

GOODWILL AND GROWTH FOR AFRICA UK<br />

www.gaga-uk.org - 01789 414 088 - claire@gaga-uk.org<br />

HEART OF ENGLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION<br />

www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk - 024 7688 3266 - marketing@heartofenglandcf.co.uk<br />

HEART OF ENGLAND MENCAP<br />

heartofenglandmencap.org.uk - 01789 298 709 - support@heartofenglandmencap.org.uk<br />

THE LEUKAEMIA AND INTENSIVE CHEMOTHERAPY FUND<br />

www.lincfund.org - 07900 433 166 - claire.charlton2@nhs.net<br />

THE MYTON HOSPICES<br />

www.mytonhospice.org - 01926 838 815 - sarah.stallard@mytonhospice.org<br />

Join our Directory<br />

07784 558 552<br />

www.illuminatevr.co.uk<br />

lisa.whittleton@illuminatevr.co.uk<br />

By joining the Talk Business UK directory,<br />

you will be featured in our magazine<br />

every month. Take a look at the options:<br />

Social Media<br />

Footprint are experts in social media.<br />

Through bespoke training and careful<br />

management, we work with you to<br />

heighten your business profile.<br />

07877 760411 | sandra@footprintsocialmedia.co.uk<br />

www.footprintsocialmedia.co.uk<br />

Virtual Assistant<br />

01788 521 970<br />

www.elitepasolutions.com<br />

hello@electriczoo.co.uk<br />

0773 895 1211<br />

info@nbusinessservices.co.uk<br />

www.nimdabusinessservices.co.uk<br />

TAYLORMADE BUSINESS SERVICES<br />

www.taylormadeservices.org.uk - 07969 433 590 - louise@taylormadeservices.org.uk<br />

Join our directory, and be featured in<br />

our magazine every month. We have a<br />

number of options and you could have<br />

this headline listing for £25pm or £250<br />

for 12 issues.<br />

01789 330 003 | hello@talkbusinessuk.co.uk<br />

www.talkbusinessuk.co.uk<br />

For a highlighted listing with your logo<br />

and contact information, prices start at<br />

£15pm or £150 for 12 issues.<br />

FOR OUR BASIC LISTING<br />

prices from £10pm or £100 for 12 issues<br />

Or this listing is Free, with no web link


THE STORY OF THE IMAGE.<br />

Our cover image this month is Talk Business Member Anna Jester’s. This image is<br />

part of her recent branding photography for her business Jester Consulting.<br />

Photo taken by Laurence Jones photography Talk Business member<br />

www.ljonesphotography.co.uk

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